//------------------------------// // June 20th, 2559 // Story: Voidrunner // by The DM //------------------------------// //Begin Personal Log // //June 20th, 2559 // //23:59 Local Time Seven hundred and sixty three civilians dead in a single day, with six guards also killed. I guess you could say the entire nation is fairly shaken by the tragedy. Some ponies are crying out for vengeance and justice, though many are just plain scared. Thankfully, Celestia is doing a great job at holding a strong face for her ponies. They need a strong leader to look to after this week’s attack. Anyway, I can report success with interrogating Domri. I decided this would be a great opportunity for Spotlight to try his...er... hoof, at interrogations. My god, that little guy can be terrifying. I’d feel bad, but the intel we got from him was so damn valuable. Once he was “persuaded” to talk, he began spilling every scrap of information he had. Because of this, certain countermeasures are being discussed. Aaaaaan finally... Aria, the now Queen of the changelings, has... well... made a very bold request. She asked me if I could set up a meeting between her and Director Burr. I told her I would ask the Director. Suffice to say, he agreed to a video conference with her. //End Log Spotlight sat in silence as he waited in the interrogation room of Canterlot castle. It was the exact same room where Orange Glow had given up the handler behind the castle bombings, and it would now be the room where the same mastermind would spill all his secrets. Celestia and Daniel sat with the two guard Captains behind the one way mirror. The door to the room flew open as two SPARTANs dragged the large gryphon into the room, propping him up on a chair with his hands still cuffed. His face was bruised, with trails of dried blood coming from his beak. The two then moved back to stand in the corners behind the gryphon. Spotlight opened a plain grey folder and began to quietly read through the papers, occasionally flipping to a new page. Domri sneered at the changeling across from him “What, nothing to say?” Spotlight ignored the gryphon and continued to read. “You are the worst interrogator ever,” the gryphon chuckled. The changeling calmly closed the folder and looked up at the gryphon. “What happened to your face?” “Why don’t you ask your friends here.” Domri replied, motioning to the SPARTANs with his head. Spotlight looked to the pair with a neutral expression. “He tripped going up the stairs,” Commander Dior said with a shrug. “Da, he needs to be more careful,” Victor added. Spotlight knew that wasn’t true, but he really didn’t care. “So, Domri,” Spotlight sighed as he leaned forward slightly, “let’s start with something simple, okay? Why bomb a train?” The gryphon began laughing. “What? You think I’m going to tell you everything just because you asked nicely?” “I was hoping.” “You’ll get nothing from me, and you’ll like it,” Domri sneered. “Hmm, really now,” Spotlight mused as he leaned back. “There is nothing you can do to make me talk. I will happily take my secrets to the grave,” Domri replied defiantly. “I just want to know what led you to bombing a passenger train? Is that really so much to ask?” Spotlight asked calmly. Domri shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve nothing to say to you, so you might as well kill me and be done with it.” Spotlight grinned slyly, revealing his fangs. “Kill you? Oh, no no no. I don’t want you to die, despite your horrendous actions. On the contrary, I want you to live a long life. Especially since you will be in Equestrian custody.” “You can take that file and choke on it,” Domri said with an intense glare. “Nah, I think I’d rather read it. There’s some really neat bits of information here. Where you’re from, who your parents are, who your extended family is, pretty much everything about you.” Domri just sat silently as the changeling stared straight at him. “C’mon, Domri, do we really need to draw this out any more?” Spotlight said with an annoyed expression. The gryphon snarled at Spotlight as he continued his silent defiance. “Do you care about anything? Anything at all?” Spotlight asked. Domri sneered as he replied. “Of course I do.” “Well, I already know you have no regard for life, so I’ll ask something else. Do you value family?” “Family is everything. Without family, you are nothing,” Domri said with pride. Spotlight chuckled as he spoke. “That’s funny, considering you just destroyed a couple hundred families.” “They were weak.” “So... if I put a bomb under your mother’s ass and set it off, she’d be okay?” Spotlight shook his head and laughed. “Somehow I doubt that.” “That’s not what I meant!” Domri shouted in frustration. “So then help me understand, how are they weak?” Spotlight asked as he tilted his head. “You couldn’t possibly understand,” the gryphon grumbled. “So, what you mean is you have no clue? Okay, got it.” Spotlight mused as he pretended to write in the file. “Now, let’s talk a bit about your family.” “Why? Aren’t you supposed to be interrogating me about the train?” Domri asked with a bit of surprise. Spotlight shrugged. “Why bother? Might as well make small talk, seeing as how you don’t want to talk about anything I want to.” “My family is of no concern to you.” Spotlight grinned at the gryphon as he began to sense a new emotion from the gryphon; fear. “So what happened to you? Did mommy and daddy not hug you enough?” “Piss off,” Domri sneered. “Did your sister hog the shower every morning? Is that why you’re so damn angry?” Spotlight pressed. Unfortunately, Domri’s fear quickly turned back into anger. “What about your brother, huh? Did he just annoy the shit out of you? It’s alright, lots of ponies have annoying younger siblings. Only difference is that those ponies don’t become mass murdering terrorists.” Spotlight grinned from ear to ear as Domri’s tried to lunge across the table, but was quickly restrained by the two SPARTANs behind him. “So, your brother was a bit of a shit, huh? I get it, you'd rather be an only child,” Spotlight teased, continuing to fuel the gryphon’s rage and fear. “I hope you die a horrible death, you pathetic piece of shit!” Domri shouted. “Wow, such hostility. Ya know, since you have been nothing but trouble, maybe we should go pick up your brother and question him. I’m sure he’ll be more cooperative.” Spotlight chuckled as he continued. “Plus, I have no reservations against offing him if he resists.” This comment was enough to push Domri over the edge. “Don’t you dare bring him into this,” Domri snarled at the changeling. Spotlight grinned at the gryphon’s reaction. “Oh? Hit a nerve did I?” “He has nothing to do with this,” the large gryphon asserted. “You say that, but your fear says otherwise. I think he is involved. Perhaps we should just detain him, seeing as how you are being uncooperative,” Spotlight challenged, trying to get more emotion out of the gryphon. “Leave. My brother. Out. Of this,” Domri replied. Spotlight chuckled as he read the gryphon like an open book. He didn’t need to sample his emotions to know how desperate Domri was. “You gotta give me something other than that. Let’s make a deal then, okay? You cooperate and answer all of my questions truthfully, then I’ll forget you have a younger brother.” “Fine. Deal,” Domri quickly replied. “Fantastic. So, the train, was this attack orchestrated by your cousin, Varen?” Domri grumbled as he answered. “Yes.” “Why?” Spotlight continued. “He wanted to break the will of the ponies. To show them that defiance will be punished by death,” the gryphons replied with anger in his voice. “Defiance? You say that like the rest of the world is already under your control.” “It might as well be. The rest of you weaklings are only fit for being subjugated,” Domri sneered. Spotlight silently mulled Domri’s response over. “So that’s what the bombing was about. It was a show of strength, something you want the whole world to know.” “Yeah, you got it,” Domri replied smugly. “Obviously Equestria and Ecotonia aren’t going to just roll over and surrender, so when does Varen plan on declaring war?” Spotlight asked with a wave of his hoof. “Soon enough.” ~~~ Jonathan sat on a balcony of one of the castle’s many towers. It was late afternoon as the human simply sat in silence, watching the city below. He idly swung his feet in the air as he dangled his legs off the ledge while resting his chin on the marble banister. The sound of approaching hoofsteps brought the Commander out of his contemplative state. Princess Celestia quietly sat down next to Jonathan, matching his gaze by looking out over the city. “Evening, Princess.” Jonathan said as he continued to gaze out over the city. “Good evening, Jonathan,” the solar Princess responded. Zerom lifted his head off the banister and shot the Princess a curious glance. “Is everything alright?” “Given the circumstances? Yes, everything is fine.” Celestia said with a chuckle. “I simply wanted to talk.” “Oh? About what?” “I was hoping to get a better understanding of Daniel. Specifically, why he acts the way he does,” Celestia stated. Jonathan began chuckling. “Yeah, you and the rest of the UNSC.” Celestia shared in the laugh before continuing. “I’m just curious about his attitude and where it comes from. He doesn’t strike me as a typical military officer. He’s...” “Childish, impulsive, a bit immature and carefree?” Zerom cut in. “That’s not how I would have phrased it, but yes.” Jonathan sighed. “It’s all a defense mechanism.” This answer caught the Princess off guard, earning her an expression of confusion. “How so?” “Well, first off, he’s been an ODST for twenty years. Ten of those have been as an ONI agent. Hell, I remember how he was when we first worked together. He was described as a model officer, always played it by the book and followed every protocol to the letter. It’s because of his success as an officer in the UNSC that he even got the job with ONI.” “So when did that all change?” Celestia asked. Zerom looked back out over the city as he continued. “Seven years ago, Reach was sieged and subsequently destroyed. There were almost no survivors on a planet of billions. Now, we all had been subject to the horrors of war for decades. Over half the human population, killed over thirty years. Those costs weighed heavily on all of us. I think he finally broke when the rest of his family was killed on Reach.” “The rest of his family?” “Yeah, he originally lived on a planet called Harvest with his parents. They died when the Covenant attacked and burned the planet. Daniel was lucky to have made it off the planet in the early days of the siege. He was eighteen at that point.” Celestia nodded as she imagined the scene, finding it hard to imagine an entire planet burning. “So he joined the UNSC after that?” Jonathan nodded. “Correct. It was also a time where the UNSC was desperate for volunteers, especially officers. Now, I’m not sure how, but a few requirements for officer training were waived for him and a few others.” “When did the two of you meet?” Celestia asked. “We first met in a lifeboat on the UNSC Belfast.” Jonathan said with a chuckle. “A lifeboat?” “Yup. The ship was destroyed over the planet Arcadia. We were one of the lucky ones able to get to a lifeboat before the ship exploded. Luckily, the Pillar of Autumn was nice enough to pick us up.” Zerom paused as he reflected on the memory. “Fast forward a few years to Reach. The final days of that fight was were I really noticed the changes in him. Gone was the strict and uptight officer, replaced by someone who only had the military left. No family, no home, and waning hope. Sadly, it was a common theme among many of us.” “So he reached a breaking point.” Celestia commented. “Right. Granted, he dealt with his grief a bit differently than others. Some broke down and cried, others became emotionless husks, a few turned toward hard narcotics. I knew a few guys who even committed suicide. Though, Daniel just up and changed his whole outlook on life. Was it a good way of dealing with it? Probably not. The only thing that saved his career was the fact that he was still a great officer. Hell, he would have been discharged as soon as the war ended if he wasn’t so good at getting results.” Jonathan chuckled to himself as he remembered some of the more... eccentric hijinks the pair had gotten into. “So that’s why he acts the way he does? Grief?” Celestia asked with a bit of surprise. “Mostly. He desperately wants to forget the pain of loss... just like the rest of us.” “Did you lose anyone in the war?” the Princess asked softly. “We all did, I’m one of the many orphans of war. My family and friends all died on a colony called Green Hills. Luckily I was on Reach, attending school. Though, after that, I enlisted with the UNSC Navy. My grief turned into anger and bitter hatred toward the Covenant. In some ways, Daniel’s coping mechanism was much healthier than mine.” “Well, I’d say you both turned out okay,” Celestia replied. “Well... thanks.” Jonathan mumbled as he set his chin on the railing again. The pair continued to sit on the balcony, watching the sun slowly set over Canterlot. The train station had finally been cleared of all debris, though it still remained closed. The cityscape briefly reminded Jonathan of his home in New Alexandria. The Commander sighed as he continued to gaze out across the capital. Jonathan caught a glimpse of Daniel and Aria talking in the garden below. “Huh... I wonder what they’re doing?” ~~~ It was late evening as Daniel and Aria made their way through the castle, heading toward the south gardens. It was rare to see any changeling, other than Spotlight, outside of the east wing of the castle. “So, Captain, I want to talk to you about my future and the future of my changelings,” Aria began. Daniel looked at her as they continued to walk. “Ah, go on.” “I’ll put it bluntly. We’re not welcome here. In fact, I doubt we would be welcome anywhere on this planet,” the changeling queen continued. “I’m sure Equestria will warm up to you eventually,” Daniel responded. Aria sighed. “As much as I hope that to be true, I can’t risk it. There are only thirty of us left, and Equestria is still very anti-changeling. All it would take is one big angry mob to wipe us out.” “So, I take it you have a solution?” Daniel asked with a raised eyebrow. “I said we wouldn’t be welcome anywhere on this planet. Key word; this planet. Get where I’m going with this?” Daniel chuckled and nodded. “I’ve got a pretty good idea. Continue anyway.” “I want asylum for myself and my changelings. There is nothing for us here, and I can’t help but wish for a fresh start. Much like the one Spotlight was able to get.” The pair finally reached the gardens as Daniel pondered her request. “I see... I’ll have to talk with the Director. He’ll also want to meet with you to discuss the possibility.” “Thank you, Captain. All I can ask is that you try,” Aria replied sincerely. “I know there are ways we can be useful in your world.” “Oh?” “Imagine a psychologist who could literally read the emotions of their patient, or a doctor who can sense when someone is in pain. How about a comedian who can assume multiple forms and voices, or a guard who can sense when someone is lying. I promise you, there are many things my changelings can do,” the changeling queen stated, trying to convince Daniel. “Yeah, I can see it. I’ll put a call in with the Director tonight,” Daniel replied. Aria breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank you, Captain. It really means alot to all of us.” ~~~ Commander Dior grumbled as she made her way down the ramp of the Tuscany. Andrew had sent her a message, requesting her presence at the Equestrian armory; something about a new weapon. The SPARTAN was clad in her usual armor, repainted to a sky blue with black accent stripes at various points. Upon reaching the door, a series of voices came from the other side. Remembering that she really didn’t care, Dior knocked hard enough to crack the wood, leaving a fist shaped indentation in the wood. “Come in!” Andrew called out from inside. Lisa pushed the door open and stopped as soon as she saw into the room. Andrew was standing over Quicksilver, holding her tongue in one hand, and a bottle of hot sauce in the other. Discord was sitting on a workbench, giggling and laughing at the scene unfolding in front of him. The unicorn mare sat on her haunches as Andrew kept the bottle hovering over her tongue, ready to dump the liquid fire onto her. “Andrew... what the fuck are you doing?” Dior deadpanned. “Settling an argument. Wanna help?” Andrew replied with a grin. Quicksilver quickly began shaking her head in fear while Andrew still held her tongue. Discord was happily eating a large tub of popcorn as Dior walked forward. Quicksilver’s eyes went wide as the massive SPARTAN loomed over both her and Andrew. With one hand, Dior grabbed Quicksilver by the scruff of her neck and Andrew by the back of his shirt. She then pulled the two apart and lifted them both into the air, before walking them to a nearby workbench. Discord nearly choked on his popcorn as the SPARTAN easily hoisted and carried both pony and human. “Now,” Dior began as she set the two of them down, “what is it that you wanted me to see?” “Oh! Right!” Andrew shouted as he ran over to the table Discord was sitting on. With a shove, Andrew pushed Discord off the table and opened a large drawer, pulling out a strange rifle-like weapon. “Behold! The newest weapon in the Equestrian arsonal.” Dior looked at the rifle with an inquisitive eye. “Oh? The ponies made this thing?” “Yup. With a bit of guidance from me. Here,” Andrew said as he handed the rifle to Dior, “try it out.” Dior hesitantly picked up the weapon and took aim at a nearby crate. She lined up the sights and pulled the trigger. The weapon began rapidly shooting purple shards of pure magic from the barrel, each hitting the crate in the center before punching through it and leaving a scorch mark on the wall. “Holy shit. You’ve been busy,” the SPARTAN commented. “Pull back that little lever and put this cartridge in,” Quicksilver instructed as she levitated a glowing green crystal. Dior did as she was instructed and fired the weapon with the new crystal installed. Instead of the purple magic shards, a series of green blobs hit the crate, causing it to bubble and dissolve. “No way...” the SPARTAN muttered in disbelief. “How many of these do you have?” Andrew grinned as he spun on a nearby stool. “There are fire crystals, acid crystals, shock crystals, explosive crystals, frozen crystals, tri-shot crystals, and I think high energy crystals. Each one gives the rifle a different elemental projectile.” “... I want one.” Dior said bluntly. “This is... oh god... this is amazing. What’s the effective range?” “About the same as an Assault Rifle,” Andrew replied. Lisa began turning the weapon, looking at every angle. “And the ponies built this?” “Yup. Turns out they just needed a kick to get them to think outside the traditional box. I simply suggested they try to combine magic with military tech... and boom! This is what came out,” Andrew answered as he fell off the spinning stool. “Are they easy to make?” Dior asked. “You bet. The magical components are so simple, that any average unicorn could enchant them in about a minute. The machined parts are all replaceable and easy to make.” Quicksilver announced proudly. The SPARTAN nodded in approval as she set the weapon on a table. “Well shit, nicely done you two.” “Oh, oh oh oh oh! Show her the one that we made!” Discord shouted from the floor. Andrew quickly got up and skipped over to another workbench. He picked up an ammo case and set it on the table next to the SPARTAN. He slowly opened the lid and reached in, picking up a spherical object. “Here, catch.” Andrew said as he tossed the bright pink orb to Dior. Lisa instinctively caught the ball and looked at it. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at the device. It looked like a grenade, felt like a grenade, was textured like a grenade, and had a primer like a grenade. The only logical conclusion was that this, in fact, was a grenade. Her conclusion was only solidified as the pink grenade exploded in her hand. Though instead of a blinding flash and searing pain, there was only a pop, followed by nothing but pink covering her visor. Discord and Andrew began laughing uncontrollably as Dior stood in the middle of the room. The SPARTAN slowly brought her hands up to her helmet and removed it. Her normally blue armor, and a fifteen foot radius of the room, had been covered in a pink cottony substance. The first thing that hit her was the smell. It was very sweet, as if it was all made of sugar.   “Woooo! Cotton candy grenades!” Discord and Andrew cheered together. Dior looked into the ammo case and quickly spotted five more brightly colored grenades. Lisa grinned as she slowly picked up the five remaining grenades and carefully armed all five. The SPARTAN then rolled all five at Discord and Andrew. Neither of them noticed the grenades at their feet as they continued to high five and laugh. Though, their celebration was cut short as all five grenades exploded, covering the pair in multi-colored cotton candy. “Ya know, those things are great stress relief. Keep up the good work,” Lisa replied as she walked out of the workshop, still covered in the pink fluff. ~~~ Luna was having a really crappy start to her day. In an hour, she would have to hold Night Court, where once again she would be bored out of her skull. It wouldn’t be so bad if she had gotten a decent night’s sleep. With a sigh, the lunar Princess continued to look into her coffee cup as she sat next to a window in the galley. “Troubles?” Chef asked as he topped off her mug. Luna snorted as she replied. “Irony, actually.”   “Oh?” Chef said as he pulled a chair up. “Nightmare.” “How is that ironic?” Chef asked with a perplexed expression. “When you are the guardian of the dream realm, it is.” Luna responded as she took a sip of coffee. “I see. What was it about?” Luna shook her head and waved a hoof. “It’s stupid. Not even sure where it came from.” “I’m all ears.” Chef declared as he leaned back in his chair. The Princess sighed as she realised he wasn’t going to drop the issue. “I had a dream that the Tuscany was destroyed. I know it’s silly.” “What else?” “What makes you think there is more?” Luna asked with a hint of worry. “Because, something really has you shaken. So what else happened?” Chef replied calmly. “Well... it was graphic. I saw the bodies of the crew strewn about the corridors, fires burning in almost every room, others crying out in pain as they slowly died, then there was the blood...” Luna paused as she stared at her reflection in the mug. “There were also some gryphons... standing over Daniel and Jonathan... even Andrew was there...” Chef sighed as he put a hand on Luna’s shoulder. “It was only a dream, nothing more.” “I know... but it felt so real. That’s what really scared me.” “That’s all it is; a manifestation of your fear. Is this ship invincible? Far from it.” Chef stated, “Is the crew immortal? Not a chance. Are they highly trained specialists? You bet. Would they fight to the death? Of course. Still, it would take a considerable amount of force to bring this ship down.” Luna seemed to accept this answer and quietly continued to sip on her coffee. Chef was right, she was letting her fear effect her. Perhaps she would watch a movie after court. Luna took a long drawn drink of her coffee as she prepared herself for the coming night. Pushing the disturbing dream to the back of her mind, Luna set off for her royal duties. ~~~ Though, for the next seven hours, nopony entered the Lunar Court. It was a fairly typical night for Luna, she occasionally conversed with the guards, read bits of a book, and even tried her hoof at a crossword puzzle, anything to distract her from thinking about the nightmare. Though, the silence of the Lunar Court was broken as a Lunar guard walked in, followed by an elderly looking unicorn mare and a young unicorn colt. The mare walked forward with a nervous tremble, while the colt walked beside the guard, without a hint of fear. Luna was so surprised by the visit, she almost thought she was dreaming. “Welcome to the Lunar Court. What are your names?” Luna asked, finally finding the words she needed. “My name is Errant,” the colt replied. “A-and I’m Orchid Breeze,” the mare answered. “To what may I help you with this evening?” Luna asked. “Well, I’ve been having a lot of nightmares... I was wondering if you might be able to do something,” the colt asked, his brave facade cracking under Luna’s gaze. Luna tilted her head as she inspected the colt. “How long have these nightmares been occurring?”   “Like... twice a week... for a few months... but they have been getting worse these past few days,” Errant replied with a hint of embarrassment. Luna tried to mimic her sister’s warm smile as the colt shrunk a bit at the mention of his nightmares. “There is no reason to be ashamed. Everypony gets nightmares, even me.” Errant perked up and looked at Luna with wonder. “Even you? But... you’re Princess Luna!” “It’s true.” Luna said with a wave of a hoof. “Why, just tonight I had a nightmare of my own.” “Really? W-what was it about?” The colt asked with wide eyes. Normally Luna would have told off anypony who asked about her dreams, but this one was much different. “I had a terrible dream where I lost all of my friends and my home. The worst part was that I couldn’t do anything to save them.” “That sounds terrible,” the colt mumbled. “It was. But that is why I try to watch over the dream realm. Sadly, I can not catch all nightmares, and for that I am sorry.” Luna replied with a bow of her head. “W-w-well that’s okay. There are a lot of ponies, that must be a lot of nightmares to stop,” the colt replied. “Indeed there are. Perhaps there is something I can do for you,” Luna said as she got up from her throne and walked down the steps. She stopped a few feet in front of the colt, smiling at him. “Now, close your eyes and relax. This will only take a moment.” Errant did as the Princess instructed, and closed his eyes. Luna ignited her horn as she slowly touched the tip to Errant’s head. A slight surge of magic washed over the colt as Luna cast her spell. A second later, Errant looked up at Luna with a curious glance. “W-what was that?” Errant asked. “Do you know what a magical ward is?” Luna responded. Errant paused as he thought up an answer. “Yeah, a kind of shield. Right?” Luna nodded as she spoke. “Indeed. Think of the spell I used as a shield against bad dreams. You should now be able to sleep without nightmares for a few months. Though, if they do come back, feel free to return.” Errant’s eyes lit up as he lunged forward and hugged Luna’s leg. “Thank you so much, Princess!” Luna was severely caught off guard by the display, but soon embraced the colt in her massive wingspan. “Now then little one, I suggest you get some rest. Who knows what tomorrow might hold?” “I will! Thanks again, Princess!” Errant called out as he and Orchid Breeze walked out of the throne room. For a few moments, Luna just sat there, totally stunned at what had just happened. Her trance was soon broken by the soft sound of bootsteps echoing through the now empty throne room. A familiar figure stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the stunned Princess. “Well, I’d say that went quite well,” Daniel said as he sat down next to Luna. The two of them sat in silence, enjoying the feelings of what had just transpired. The Princess looked to the ODST sitting next to her as tears threatened to break through. “Yes,” she said as she wiped away a tear, “that was... incredible.” Daniel chuckled and gave her a pat on the back. “For all it’s worth, I’m... quite pleased with how you handled it, and I’m sure that kid is going to go tell all his friends how amazing Princess Luna is.” Luna leaned slightly against Daniel as they continued to sit in the middle of the room. The Princess sighed deeply. “You know... I think I could get used to this.”